


Road Trips + Rituals

by slightly_ajar



Series: Stable AU [12]
Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: But who needs a plot it's Christmas!, Christmas Fluff, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Not A Lot Of Plot, Stable AU, dad!Jack, teen!Mac
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:14:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28238289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slightly_ajar/pseuds/slightly_ajar
Summary: “It isn’t Christmas if you haven’t heard the same few songs over and over again and sang along with them even though they’re driving you crazy.”“So hearing George Michael singing about having his heart broken on repeat for weeks is what makes it Christmas?”“Per-xactly! The tradition of repeatedly hearing songs about jolly holly and snow and chestnuts is part of what makes Christmas Christmas.  Traditions create the season.”Set in dickgrysvn's Stablehands + Stable Homes AU and alongside violetvaria’s Stable AU
Series: Stable AU [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1491458
Comments: 8
Kudos: 17
Collections: Stable_AU





	Road Trips + Rituals

**Author's Note:**

> Big Christmas presents wrapped in shiny paper to Dickgrysvn for being generous with the AU she created and Violetvaria for being my Stable buddy xxx
> 
> This is set during Mac and Jack's second Christmas together.

“...and the very next day, you gave it away. Next year, to save me from tears, I'll give it to someone special.”

“We've heard this song about seventeen times already today.”

Jack took his eyes away from the freeway to give Mac a ‘so?’ look. 

“I’m just surprised you can still sing along to it with that much enthusiasm.” 

“You could use the fact that this song was played in every single store we went in to argue that I should be dog sick of it by now, I get that,” Jack said in his best ‘imparting wisdom to the younger generation’ voice. “We couldn’t help but hear it when we were shopping - that’s true. What’s going on now, however, is that I’m choosing to listen to it since I’m the one who put it on my Christmas playlist.” 

“ _I_ put it on your Christmas playlist.” Mac had taken control of Jack’s phone for half an hour while Jack listed all his favourite Christmas tunes. At times Mac made Jack deal with technology on his own, he thought it was good for him to get in some practice, but every now and then he agreed to take over from his dad. Sometimes it was just easier that way. There was less sulking, foul language and protestations that the app/phone/remote control/wireless router/etc. wasn’t ‘working like it was s’possed to!’ followed by plaintive cries of Mac’s name. 

“Same difference. It’s on this Christmas playlist because I wanted it there. See?” 

“Not really.” 

“It isn’t Christmas if you haven’t heard the same few songs over and over again and sang along with them even though they’re driving you crazy.” 

“So hearing George Michael singing about having his heart broken on repeat for weeks is what makes it Christmas?” 

“Per-xactly! The tradition of repeatedly hearing songs about jolly holly and snow and chestnuts is part of what makes Christmas Christmas. Traditions create the season.” 

“It’s not egg nog, decorations and presents?” As Mac spoke Jack overtook the car ahead of them, shifting the shopping that Mac and Jack had gone to the city to buy. “Because we’ve got a lot of that stuff in these bags.” 

“Those things are part of the holiday season too. They’re part of the Christmas rituals right alongside hanging your stocking on the fireplace and the roof of your gingerbread house caving in.” 

“And the Rudolf napkin rings?” Mac spotted one of Jack’s impulse buys peeking out of a bag. 

“Fun, silly stuff with sparkling red noses? Absolutely.” 

“Is that why you bought those Christmas sweaters last year?” When Jack had suggested the shopping trip to stock up on holiday supplies Mac had been afraid to ask if he wanted them both to wear their holiday sweaters. He was fond of his snowflake and polar bear patterned shirt but he cringed at the thought of being seen out in public in it. Mac wasn’t that interested in being fashionable or looking suave but he did have some standards. That morning he’d dressed in a red shirt and hoped the colour was festive enough to keep Jack happy. When Jack didn’t appeared at the breakfast table in his sweater emblazoned with a Santa hat wearing dinosaur Mac had stayed quiet, not wanting to put ideas into his dad’s head. 

“Yes. I bought them to bring on a Christmas mood and to start the tradition of us watching Christmas movies while wearing them.” Jack slapped a hand to his forehead “We should have worn those sweaters today!” he cried. “I can’t believe I didn’t think of that!” 

“What a shame,” Mac said, turning to look out of the window and hide his smile. 

“Are you okay with Diane and Riley watching the movie marathon with us this year?” Jack asked. 

“What?” Mac frowned, momentarily thrown by Jack’s sudden change of subject and look of concern. “Yes, of course I am.” 

“’Cause I know that doing a Christmas movie marathon isn’t an old tradition but it was something me and you did together, and after you’d made the room look so nice. I don’t want you to think that I’m changing what we did because it wasn’t special to me.” 

Mac paused, searching for the words that would reassure Jack, in the silence Tony Bennett sang about taking a walk through a winter wonderland. “The movie marathon is a family tradition and Diane and Riles are family, aren’t they? So it’s fine. They are going to wear Christmas sweaters aren’t they? Because if I have to so does Riley.” 

Jack chuckled, “Y’all are sounding like brother and sister already. Yes, they’ll be wearing appropriately festive clothes, Diane told me she’s picked out something special for them both. I think Diane’s outfit actually lights up. It’ll be Christmas squared times two.” 

“Okay.” It really was okay. Talking to Doctor Amanda had shown Mac that he was spending more time worrying that he would feel jealous of Diane and Riley than he was actually being jealous of them. When Jack talked about Diane and Riley a sharp prickle could sometimes give a hot, unexpected pulse inside Mac, whispering spitefully that Jack loved _him_ best and he shouldn’t have to share that, but Mac understood that the voice came from a place inside him that was young and scared and he did his best to let those moments pass. Mac had a family with Jack, and bringing Diane and Riley into their home was not taking love away from him, as if Jack having affection for other people would weaken his feelings for his son, it had only increased the love in Mac’s life. 

“One of my sister’s traditions with her kids is that they go on a Christmas Road Trip. They pack the car full of snacks and blankets and drive around looking at all the decorations folk have covered their houses with. She says that some people go all out and practically put on a show in their front yard.” Jack let out a nostalgic huff. “When we were kids we used to go on Christmas Road Trips but they were only ever to my Great Aunt Maureen’s house where she used to serve us tinned salmon sandwiches.” Jack pulled a face. “I think she thought that salmon was fancy but she didn’t always remember to take the bones out of it.” He shuddered. 

“Some traditions are best left in the past then?” Jack never ate salmon and now Mac knew why. 

“Oh yes. But Great Aunt Maureen did always used to give us both $20 so it wasn’t a total bust.” 

“I’ve always liked the idea of going on a road trip across the country.” The sky was a deep blue and the cars around Jack’s truck had turned their headlights on, if he squinted Mac could imagine he was surrounded by fairy lights. “I used to plan them, before. I’d memorised the timetables of the Greyhound buses that leave town and sometimes when I couldn’t sleep I’d go through the departure times and routes in my head and plot out a trip.” Imagining the town disappearing behind him as he escaped to somewhere different used to be a comforting distraction. On bad nights planning catching a coach _here_ , making connections _there_ , then moving on again gave Mac something to focus on other than his fear, his tears and his emerging bruises. He’d liked to picture himself getting as far away as he could to a place where no one knew him or would say his name in that cold, hard way that James had. “You can go a long way on Greyhound buses - you can see the whole country if you get the connections right. Maybe if things had been different I could have been somewhere else right now.” Mac watched the red rear lights of the cars passing Jack’s truck and pictured a silver and blue coach where another version of him was watching the landscape pass in a green brown blur. “Maybe in an alternative universe there’s a Mac who’s spending Christmas in New York City.” 

Despite everything Mac looked back on his habit of planning journeys with fondness and whimsy. Christmas in New York, spring in Yellowstone Park, summer beside a beach where he could get a job as a waiter or maybe in a garage, those were dreams he used to tell himself like fairy tales. He’d certainly told the story of his old habit as a light hearted reply to Jack’s family road trip memories but when Mac looked over at Jack he found that his dad looked sickened. 

“But I wouldn’t do it now!” Mac blurted to comfort the devastation in Jack’s eyes. “I haven’t thought about doing anything like that for a long time.” 

“Son,” Jack said like he was fighting for breath, “New York is grand and all but for a runaway teenager... it gets cold there in the winter...below zero, homeless kids freezing to death alone in doorways temperatures and...” 

“I would never have really left back then, I don’t think so,” Mac said to reassure. He’d wanted to escape, he’d wanted things to be different, but he’d only run when he’d had someone to run to. “It was just something to think about.” If Mac had known what Jack’s reaction to his story was going to be he never would have told it. His dad still looked tormented. 

“You promised me that you wouldn’t run away, remember?” Jack jabbed a finger in Mac’s direction. 

“I do. And I haven’t, remember?” Mac had thought about running, he’d even started to go, but he hadn’t been able to leave. He’d had too much to lose. Even at his most distressed he’d known that. 

Jack put his hand back on the steering wheel muttering about how there was still time to come up with new ground rules. 

“I wouldn’t run away, not ever, there’s no reason to go and there’s every reason to stay.” 

Jack harrumphed, calming. He snorted. “You’ll be high tailing it to college soon enough.” 

“That’s not the same.” Jack’s grumbled complaints about how Mac would be leaving for college soon had been slowly increasing in frequency and volume. “You said you were going to come with me to see the campus so you’ll know that where I’m living is safe, and I can call you every day.” 

“You’d better. At least once a day. I want emails too.” 

“What, no hand written letters?” 

“I wouldn’t say no to a bunch of those. I’ll buy you a smart new pen to write them with, one of the expensive ones they get you to sign official documents with.” 

“Jack.” 

“I know kiddo,” Jack reached out to ruffle Mac’s hair then patted the blond spikes flat, “I know. I just don’t see why you can’t go away to college and still be here with me at the same time, other than it being physically impossible and all.” 

“Me not being able to be in two places at once is a tiny wrinkle in your plan.” 

“Well then, some genius ought to invent a faster than the speed of light, beam me up Scotty, jump to hyperspace machine that can iron that wrinkle right out. Hint hint.” Jack eyeballed his son. 

“That will be the first thing I work on when I get to MIT.” 

“I’d like it finished before you get to the end of your first year away please.” 

“I’ll do my best.” 

Another good thing about Diane and Riley coming into his and Jack’s lives was that when Mac was at college Jack would have people to take care of. With Riley and Diane in the house for Jack to fuss over, push food onto and hug the guilt and worry Mac felt about leaving Jack would be eased by knowing that he wouldn’t be alone. The weight that marred Jack’s eyes when he was brooding started to gather and Mac worried that melancholy was beginning to creep over his dad, he tried to think of something to cheer him up. 

“I’m not going anywhere any time soon, we still have lots of time to spend together. We’ve got the movie marathon coming up.” 

“That we do.” Jack said, brightening. “Now, I’ve got all the classics lined up for us to watch, I don’t want to waste time on any Netflix specials unless we know they’re gonna be real good. No movies called A Very Merry Christmas Princess Mix Up in Mistletoe Grove Part Four, or whatever. ” 

“Dolly Parton has a Netflix Christmas special,” Mac couldn’t resist saying. 

Jack’s lips pursed as he vacillated. “That could be promising I’ll grant you, but I don’t want to watch anything where a lady with an executive job in the city learns an important lesson about opening her heart from some guy who wears cable knit sweaters and works in a bakery.” 

“You know a lot of things about those movies for someone who won’t watch them.” 

“My momma loves them. I’ve seen hundreds.” 

“Did she make you watch them with her?” Mac’s Nana Bea could be very persuasive when she wanted to be. 

“She’d bribe me with homemade cookies. I had no choice.” Jack shook his head at the impossible situation he’d found himself in. 

“The sugar cookies covered in the frosting with the crunchy bits in?” 

Jack nodded. 

Mac nodded back with understanding. Those cookies were really good, he’d watch A Very Merry Christmas Princess Mix Up in Mistletoe Grove Part Four to get some. 

Jack turned off the freeway and drove past the sign welcoming them to their town. A cheerful soul had draped it in tinsel that reflected the light of the truck’s headlights. The shimmering sparkles gave Mac an idea. 

“Jack,” he said, “we should steal your sister’s idea and go on a Christmas Road Trip through town, if you’re not too tired of driving. Katie said her neighbour has gone crazy with inflatable snowmen and Bozer’s mom agreed to give him free rein in decorating the house so you can imagine how it’s going to look. I bet they won’t be the only places that are all lit up like, well, Christmas trees.” 

“You have the best ideas, son. We’ve got the tunes so there’s no reason not to.” Jack’s face lit up, chasing away any remaining darkness. His eyes sparkled in a way that made him resemble a certain jolly old elf, all he needed was a cherry nose and a white beard to complete the look. He turned from their path home into the heart of the town. “Let’s find those lights!” 

As the truck rumbled towards a red and white glow and the moving shadows of what looked like animatronic reindeer Jack reached out to turn the volume up on his music and Bruce Springsteen’s cover version of Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town filled the air. 

“I’m expecting you to sing along with me here, buddy,” Jack announced, “Everyone knows the words to this song.” 

“Of course I will,” Mac said. “It’s a Christmas ritual.” 

**Author's Note:**

> The song Jack is singing at the beginning of the story is Last Christmas by Wham. Someone set up a competition this year called [Whamageddon](https://www.whamageddon.com/), it started on December 1st and the idea is so see how long you last before you hear Last Christmas, once you’ve heard it you’re out. I got myself out because the song is on my Christmas playlist
> 
> Dolly Parton does have a Christmas film on Netflix. It’s called Christmas on the Square and Dolly Parton is actually in it, she plays an angel. The film is everything you’d imagine it to be.
> 
> There isn't a Netflix film called A Very Merry Christmas Princess Mix Up in Mistletoe Grove Part Four but if there was I would probably watch it :)


End file.
